House rules/notes…
Our meeting/classes are In-Person the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ (held downstairs in Room 5), and ONLINE via Zoom (#2).
To sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive the Meeting Recaps, go to www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy and join us! The Zoom Logon is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952.
After each meeting, I send out Meeting Recaps of what we discussed. Please remember these recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted on our website before the next class at www.catholiccatacombs.org. Taylor will notify everyone at that time and provide a link.
Questions encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the chat box during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me at ron@hallagan.net afterwards.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and between Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!
No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith.
Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week? Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg at https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/. Daily/weekly prayer is saintly!
“The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Our Website: CatholicCatacombs.org
Bible Study Format
Each week of the month has a repeating theme, as noted below.
Weekly Topics
Wk 1: Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially difficult ones.
Wk 2: Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. Currently the Prophets (1,000 BC-1 BC).
Wk 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables, x2) Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, x3) World Religions, x4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 3) Fathers of the Church, Heresies, Church Councils.
Wk 4: Member Questions/Apologetics:
21% Explain what happens to animals after they die. Will we see our pets?
14% Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he a Christian? How was the Church affected?
Please explain Limbo.
Could you review of Plenary and Partial Indulgences again?
Class on Mary?
The format for each weekly meeting is (roughly) as follows:
15 min Apologetics/Catholic Topic/Edifications
15 min Upcoming Gospel reading
30 min Weekly topic/theme
1 hour
Reader for the day… (not always needed, Taylor will select)
Time to solicit more questions (Taylor).
Upcoming major holy days: All Saints Day, Nov 1 (next week, Halloween and Ghosts)
Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.
The Study and Interpretation of Scripture A Defense of our Faith using Scripture, Tradition, & Reason
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, we ask you to bless all of us who have come here tonight
to immerse ourselves in the study of your Word.
Give us the light of your wisdom
As we study your servants, the Prophets, after the split of the Davidic Kingdom.
And as you taught us to pray together:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Quote of the Week: "Happy is the one who finds wisdom…for the gain from it is better than silver, and its profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her."—Proverbs 3:13-15
TODAY:
Questions/edifications from last week
Gospel Reading for 28th Sun in Ord. Time, Mark 10:17-30 – The Rich Man, Who Can Be Saved?
Weekly Theme: Bible Timeline: The Prophets 1000 BC to 30 AD
Questions and edifications…
I said last week that Sacraments were not in effect until Jesus’ death and resurrection. Yet, John the Baptist was baptizing long before this, and then John baptized Jesus. Why weren’t these considered sacramental?
The Jews participated in ritual baths (“baptisms”) for many centuries before John the Baptist. Qumran, near where John lived and baptized in the desert, had numerous ceremonial pools for such cleansing, which they often did daily. These baths symbolized the Jew’s ardent desire to cleanse themselves of sin, which prefigured the Baptism that Jesus would later elevate to sacramental status. John’s baptisms were unique in they were a specific call to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah.
Jesus became human to take on the sins of humanity. This process began at Jesus’ baptism and was completed on the cross. The salvation of humans and granting of Sanctifying Grace was made effective by his passion, death, and resurrection, which Jesus offered up to God in expiation for our sins (see Catholic Encyclopedia, Baptism).
Similarly, you may recall the patriarchs, prophets, and good souls of the Old Testament also had to wait for Jesus’ death (Good Saturday) before they could finally enter Heaven.
Therefore, John's baptism was not a sacrament but rather prepared the way it.
Questions?
Gospel Reading, Mark 10:17-30 The Young Rich Man, Who Can Be Saved?
Context: Jesus is nearing the end of his ministry. In the next chapter, he heads to Jerusalem for the last time.
Location: At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus leave Galilee and heads to Judea. At this point, he is probably near Jericho.
Mark 10:17-30 The Young Rich Man
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
This isn’t a major part of this story, but many people wonder why Jesus says this. Why do you think:
Because God is the Source of all good, not us. If we were the source of good (or love), why are we seeking it all the time? Why are so many humans bad? If humans were the source, we wouldn’t have to work so hard to find it and then hold onto it.
Indirectly, Jesus is acknowledging that that he is God, although the young man hasn’t picked up on this. You could almost say, “Jesus is leading the witness (or audience).” His apostles probably picked up on this.
“You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother."
The man replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
Why do you think Jesus loved him?
Because he could see the man’s heart – the young man was on fire. Think about it, for he isn’t so far from most of us:
He was courageous. Why?
He was a Jewish official – Luke even refers to him as a ruler – and yet he comes in front of everyone and falls to his knees in front of Jesus. This would surely not do his reputation any good. Would we? So, he is courageous.
He was passionate, even to the point of unthinking brashness. Why?
He ran to the Lord, which was considered in indecorous, if not embarrassing, especially an official. Would we?
He was humble. Why?
He knelt before Jesus. My goodness, his status of his position has not made him arrogant. Same for us, right?
He was religious. Why?
He not only knew the commandments but followed them. He checked all the boxes! This is also true for many Christians (and not true for many, too).
But clearly, this wasn’t enough. He knew he was missing something. What was it?
Putting God first in his life, which would also governed how he valued his possessions and spent his money.
Indeed, Jesus was sad because he could see this.
At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
What is meant by Jesus’ comment on the camel?
Three possibilities:
First, the eye of the needle is the door to Heaven, and you can’t take your possessions through it. Or, Second, an old tradition says that one of the 8 gates into Jerusalem was called the “Eye of the Needle.” This entrance had a lower arch and so one needed to disembark from their camel to enter into the city. Third, St. Cyril of Alexandria suggested that by "camel" Jesus was not referring to the animal, but the thick rope to which sailors tie their anchors which was made of camels hair. The thick rope would be quite difficult for threading a needle, but perhaps not impossible. This was to show that those who had possessions could still get to Heaven, but it would be an exceedingly difficult matter.
Regardless of which interpretation Jesus might give it, the meaning is the same. The problem isn’t wealth but the self-sufficiency wealth gives a person. The wealthy often do not feel they need God because their wealth affords them the power to handle any crisis they may face. Or at least it seems that way (it’s good enough for our egos).
This is why Jesus lists “poverty of spirit” as the first Beatitude (Mat 5:3). The “poor in spirit” are contrasted with the “proud in spirit.” Acknowledging we need God first, before everything, is the first step on the spiritual journey to salvation.
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."
Jesus makes his main point here by saying that human efforts/accomplishments by themselves cannot reach the Kingdom; it is only by and through God. We cannot think that rules or checking boxes is enough. We need to be in relationship with the Lord.
But why would the Apostles be so astonished?
Part of the disciples’ astonishment was likely because, according to the teachings of the Sinai Covenant, having material blessings meant one was blessed by God (Lev 26:3-13; Dt 28:1-14).
However, God also commands them to love their neighbor as themselves and help the poor (Lev 19, Dt 15), indicating that material blessings are not solely for individual benefit but to foster a just and compassionate community, especially helping the poor, the widows, and the orphans. Yet, the Jews failed to remember the most vulnerable every time God helped them to attain greatness.
Now Jesus has come to explain that helping the marginalized is the point of the wealth that God helped us attain.
How else might this message be applicable for us today?
In how we budget our own money. Instead of budgeting money for the Church and charities last (i.e., after we see how much is left over), budget these things first. When we making giving first in our thinking, God will reward us in many ways: sometimes with money, sometimes with happiness, always with graces, and always in Heaven.
Bible Timeline 7:35
NEW ONE NEEDED Where are we so far in our Biblical Timeline?
Book Timeline
Genesis – Ch 1-11: (15,000?-2100 BC) Adam to Noah to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel (called pre-“history”)
Ch 11-50: (2,100-1,800 BC) Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, 12 sons/tribes, Joseph into Egypt 🡪 slavery
Exodus – (1,450-1350 BC) Moses – out of Egypt/slavery to Mt. Sinai to the promised land/40 years in the wilderness.
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - all take place during the 40 years in the wilderness.)
Joshua – (1350-1250 BC) Conquest of Israel and the division of land among Israel’s twelve tribes.
Judges – (1250-1050 BC) “Israel” ruled by 12 Judges from Joshua to King Saul
1st Samuel (1050BC- 980 BC) King Saul and King David
2nd Samuel (1010BC- 970 BC) 40-year reign of King David
1 Kings (970BC – 930BC) 40-year reign of King Solomon
2 Kings – Divided Kingdom (~900 BC)
The Prophets – 900 BC to John the Baptist
Where we left off: The Decline and Fall of the Kingdoms
If you recall, Solomon’s final years were not proud years and the kingdom fell further and further away from God. After Solomon's death in 930BC, his son Rehoboam became king.
Rehoboam was not a good king and the ten northernmost tribes rebelled against his harsh policies and formed a separate kingdom in the north, taking the name Israel. Their leader was Solomon’s former right hand, Jeroboam.
King Rehoboam retained control of the south, which took the name “Judah” after the tribal name of David & Solomon (the line to Jesus), with Jerusalem as its capital.
Unfortunately, over the next several hundred years, Israel and Judah continued in their unfaithfulness and faced increasing threats from foreign powers.
Prophets like Elijah and Elisha warned the northern kings of their loss of God’s protection if they didn’t change their ways, but they were ignored and persecuted. In 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians.
There were a few good kings of the southern kingdom of Judah, but most were bad.
What do we mean by “bad”?
First and foremost was worshipping pagan gods (idolatry), which not only led to materialistic and sex-related worship and sacrifices, but also to forgetting about the most vulnerable, especially the poor, widows, and orphans. This is why God made His first commandment against idolatry. Once God is no longer first, the path leads immediately downwards.
Famous prophets such as Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel warned the southern kings – again to no avail. In 597 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, and Jerusalem was totally destroyed, including Solomon’s Temple. This ushered in the infamous “Babylonian Exile” by king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In the exile, Nebuchadnezzar had all the royalty, priests, and skilled laborers relocated Jerusalem to Babylon.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar take the upper echelons of Jerusalem’s society to Babylon?
That left little worry about a future uprising from the remaining people of Jerusalem;
This added to the skilled resources of Babylon.
The Babylonians had been ruling for 70 years when the Persian Empire was on the move. They were led by King Cyrus, who would become known as Cyrus the Great. In 539 BC, the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonians and took all their lands, including Judah.
Cyrus the Great was a very reasonable ruler and tolerant of his people’s many different customs. He allowed the Jews to worship God and even decided to let them return home. Many Jews returned, but many also stayed in Babylon. Those who stayed represented part of the next generation who had grown accustomed to their lives where they lived.
Over time, this became known as the “Diaspora,” – the scattering of the Jews outside of Israel. Diaspora is a Greek word that means “to scatter.”
The Jews who returned home began to rebuild the Temple. Without a fraction of the wealth of Solomon, the new temple was a shadow of the former Temple. They completed the new temple in 515 BC and then began rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. (Herod expanded this temple dramatically around the time of Jesus in the hopes of winning the favor of the Jews.)
The Prophets and their Messages
Although there were a few prophets before the Divided Kingdom, most came afterwards as God tried His best to win back the hearts of the chosen people as they spiraled downward. Some refer to this period of 900BC to 400BC as the age of the prophets.
These prophets played a crucial role in denouncing the sins of the kings and warning of the impending judgment if the people did not repent (change their ways). This period also accelerated the Messianic prophecies, as the need for God’s intervention was becoming so painfully obvious. In fact, the Chosen People’s continual failures – even though God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, gave them the 10 Commandments for guidelines, produced many victories against overwhelming odds, and established an impressive kingdom under David and Solomon – proved that humanity was totally incapable of saving themselves. A savior (Messiah) was their only hope.
The era of the prophets is generally considered to be the period after the Davidic Kingdom splits into two. However, there were prophets before that from including the Patriarchs and especially Moses, who was considered the greatest prophet. And there were the prophets in David and Solomon’s time, just before the kingdom split.
Nevertheless, most prophets in the Bible come after the Divided Kingdom (see below). It will be these prophets who have books named after them.
These post-Davidic kingdom prophets are classified into “major” and “minor” prophets, which is not based on their significance but on the length of their writings.
1. Major Prophets: There are four major prophets in the Old Testament:
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Again, these prophets are termed "major" because their books are longer and contain more extensive writings compared to the minor prophets.
2. Minor Prophets: The minor prophets consist of twelve individuals, whose writings are shorter. They are:
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
In summary, the Bible contains four major prophets and twelve minor prophets, making a total of sixteen recognized prophetic figures in this classification.
Review
Into what two kingdoms did Israel split?
Northern kingdom of Israel and Southern kingdom of Judah
Which kingdom did David and Solomon's descendants rule (also the line of Jesus)?
Kingdom of Judah
In 722 BC, who conquered the northern kingdom of Israel?
The Assyrians
In 597 BC, who conquered the southern kingdom of Judah?
The Babylonians
Who was Cyrus the Great and what was he remembered for in the Bible?
King of the Persian Empire. Known for letting the Jews return to Jerusalem.
What is the Diaspora?
The scattering of Jews to other countries, which also helped spread the One God of the Jewish religion.
What did the Jews who returned to their homeland do?
Rebuilt the temple of Jerusalem.
How many major prophets?
Four
How many minor prophets?
Twelve
Closing Prayer
Nehemiah 9:6 (minor prophet, 440BC)
“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,
the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.
You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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